Armed rotating turret for aircraft



Aug. 29, 1944. a LANCIANI 2,357,209

' ARMED ROTATING TURRET FOR AIRGRAFT Filed Dec. 16, 1939 s Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 29, 1944. E. LANCIANI ARMED ROTATING TURRET FOR AIRQRAFT,

Filed Dec. 16, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR1 Lanna/A.

ATTORNEYS- is I Wm, Km

Aug. 29, 1944.

Filed Dec. 16, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 M W5 Y R E o 3 v 3 mm m I 4 E I I VI.A T 7 a B N T 1 l 1 A M 7 A E MM Y MM w hm V w W n i\\\\\\ I i Patented Aug. 29, 1944 ARMED ROTATING TURRET' FOR. AIRCRAFT Ettore Lanciani, Milan, Italy; vested in. the Alien Property Custodian Application December 16, 1939, Serial No. 309,569 In Italy J amiary 4', 1939' 2 Claims.

This invention relates to aircraft gun turrets, such as for example are used for the mounting of machine guns upon aeroplanes or the like. In such apparatus it is usual to provide a revoluble turret-carriage or ring mounted to be shifted upon a fixed ring or circular track for the purpose of training the gun in horizontally swinging directions, while the gun itself is suit-,

ably mounted upon the revoluble carriage, with horizontal pivots or trunnions to permit swinging adjustment of elevation of the gun for the upward and downward training thereof, the gun ner being seated to partake of the shiftings of the ring.

The apparatus of the present invention is shown embodied in a turret and gun combination such as described, the gun being shown as a machine gun of the type which is fed with cartridges by an ammunition band or web adapted to be advanced transversely through the conventional slot or passage in the breech of the gun, located usually between the barrel and the recoil mechanism of the gun, the path of cartridge travel substantially intersecting the center line of the gun within such feed slot.

The general object of the present invention is to simplify and improve the efficiency and convenience of gun turrets of the kind referred to. A particular object is to improve and coordinate the feed of the cartridge band and the training swing of the gun. A further object, comple-- mentary to the one just mentioned, is to improve the structure and operation of the mounting of the turret ring upon the fixed part or circular track of the turret. Additional objects and advantages will be explained in the hereinafter following description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention or will be understood by those conversant with the subject.

In the accompanying drawings, v

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an aircraft gun turret embodying the present invention, the same being shown with its outer casing or shroud largely broken away to disclose interior construction, and with the turret rings themselves broken away in part to show the mounting of the revoluble upon the stationary or supporting ring.

Fig. 2 on a larger scale, is a perspective view showing further details of the construction and cooperation of the supporting ring and the revoluble ring or carriage of the turret, in their preferred form.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of portions of the bolster or upright cross Walls of the revoluble ring or carriage upon which the gun is tiltingly mounted as shown in other figures.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation view, on a larger scale than Figs. 1 and 3, showing the detailsof the mountings of the gun upon the revoluble ring or carriage, the same being broken away at several points for better disclosure of the parts.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section view, on a still larger scale than Fig. 4, taken on the section line 5--5 of Fi 4.

Referring first to- Fig. 1, the turret comprises the outer fixed ring I which provides a track for the inner revolving ring 2, the latter constituting an annular carriage to permit the horizontal swinging or training of the gun. As a support for the gun mounting on the turret ring 2 there is shown a diametric bolster or pair of upright cross walls 3. The gun 4 is' shown as a machine gun. For the up and down tilting or training of the gun it is combined with a swiveling member shown in the special form of a drum 5, this being a hollow member operating as a trunnion and mounted upon the support or bolster 3' to rock thereon, as will be further described.

Fig. 1 further shows a balancing member, in the form of a wing or lever 6, designed to constitute a dummy, approximately similar to the gun in the portion thereof protruding from the casing, so that the strong air thrust upon the gun is neutralized by that upon' the dummy member, the latter protruding inan opposite direction through a slot in the enclosing shroud or housing of the turret. The mounting of the dummy balancer needs no detail description, being fully described in copending application 222,618, filed August 2', 1938, which has resulted in Patent No. 2,237,833, issued April 8, 1941. It is Sufilciellt to point out that the axle of the dummy 6 has its bearing in the bolster 3, and that said axle carries a segment gear 24 which engages with a similar gear 23 attached to one end of the drum 5, so that when the gun is elevated the dummy swings upwardly in a symmetrical manner, and vice versa.

Referring next to the improved mounting of the revoluble ring 2 of the turret, this is shown as comprising two sets of rollers, each roller turning on a shortaxle, placed between the fixed and movable rings, one roller set being arranged to take the vertical thrust or weight of the revoluble elements while the second set, is arranged to take the horizontal thrust and centralize the inner ring. The structure appears in Figs. 1 and 2, the latter showing a short segment of the entire circumferential structure.

Upon the upper section or rib- 1 of the outer ring I is shown mounted the series of rollers 8, each turning about a vertical axis by means of short stud shafts or pivots 9. The rollers .8- are in a circular series and all of them have rolling contact with a circumferential surface Ill on the other or movable ring 2, said surface being vertical or substantially so. This arrangement gives easy running qualities while holding--the revoluble ring strictly in its concentric position. Each set of rollers ll.

shown another series of rollers ll, these turning on horizontal axles 12 which in turn are mounted upon the middle section or rib [3 of the fixed ring, these axles being radial and with the rollers extending inwardly for engagement with the inwardly projecting section or rib is provided with ner ring. The inner ring by means of an outa substantially horizontal running surface I 4,

extending circumferentially and resting upon the Naturally this arrangement could be reversed by mounting the rollers on the inner ring in a manner to bear down. upon a substantially horizontal projecting surface or rib of the fixed ring or track.

The described structure serves the purposes described. Each of the two rings is comparatively light and thin, having more vertical than horizontal dimension, with strengthening ribs as shown. By these ribs are formed recesses or grooves, and these are utilized to accommodate the rollers, which thus are enclosed between the rings, being well protected, and occupying'no otherwise useful space. As is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the upper rib of the turret Zis formed with an outward and upward extension which overhangs the roller 8.

Describing next the mounting of the gun and drum on the cross support 3 of, the revoluble turret ring, said walls are shownspaced well apart and carrying mountings which are best disclosed in Figs. 3 to 5. The drum is a hollow rocking carrier through which extends the breech of the gun, the drum having at or near its ends trunnion bearing mounted on the spaced walls of cross support 3, and the drum being especially constructed to permit effective transverse passage, axially through the drum, of the ammuni- .tion or cartridge band or web, so that the trave1 of the ammunition is axially through the drum to; through and from the breech of the gun, and

therefore substantially at the axis about which the gun swings up and down Said th Ofthe H band and the breech of the gun in fact intersecting each other inside the drum.

The crossv Walls of the bolster 3 are spaced Well apart and provided with seats I5 for the bearings in which the drum rocks, Between the seats l5 and the drum, at the ends of the latter, are shown, ball bearings I6, with their inner rings or races mounted on the drum, but the outer races I! being fixedly attached to the bolster walls 3 by means of bolts l8 In this man- 7 '3 forming the bolster, while spaced apart, are

substantially diametric, and near to each other as compared to the much larger diameter of the turret ring itself. The walls are nearer to the general vertical axis than to the ring periphery, and their spacing is considerably less than the radius of the ring. The drum 5 is best shown in Fig. 5 as of the preferable form of a cylindrical shell or wall which is'of relatively large diameter and relatively short length, these two dimensions being preferably substantially alike or of the same order. By its large diameter the drum is able completely to embrace and enclose the gun, the section of the breechof which is thus wholly .than the transverse dimensions of the gun breech. The drum may be unitarily assembled with the gun by being formed in attachable halves or otherwise, so that when assembled the drum embraces the gun in rigid relation therewith. By

the large diameter of the drum its bearings 16 and the drum rocking movements are reliably effected, with minimum of wear, lost motion and cover being flanged, and the flange carrying the gear or sector 23 already referred to. The cover I9 is therefore substantially annular, being apertured within its flange to allow the infeed of the ammunition band, a guiding device or trough 20 being shown, arranged substantially at the drum axis for the smooth guidance of the band into the drum and to the feed slot of the breech of the drum. At its other end the drum has a head 2|, which may be integral with its cylindrical shell; and the head 2| is apertured and flanged to afford a guiding device or way 22 for :the delivery of the band or Web. The ball bearings of the drum preferably surround the two end walls or heads of the drum, as shown.

The respective swinging or training movements of the gun may be effected in various Ways. 'Fig. 5 shows a pair of webs 26 formed on the drum for the purpose of connection with links, levers and\the like to cause the desired movements. In Figs. 1 and 4 an electrical controlling or operating device 25, unnecessary to describe, may take part in the controlled actuation of the gun mountings. It is convenient to employ a single control means to effect coordinately the revolving of the turret carriage 2 and the rocking of the gun drum 5, and While except to the extent set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An aircraft gun turret-having a revoluble turret ring formed with a plurality of circumferential outside ribs, a supporting ring formed with a plurality of outside circumferential ribs, a circular series of rollers mounted on the uppermost rib of the sup-porting ring to rotate in a horizontal plane and engagin the uppermost rib of the turret ring to centralize the same, a circular series of axles carried by said supporting ring and extending through another rib thereof, rollers inside said supporting ring and mounted on said axles to rotate in a vertical plane said latter roller engaging a 'rib of said turret ring to support said turret ring.

2. The turret set forth in claim 1, wherein the upper rib of said turret ring is formed with an outward and upward extension located adjacent to and over said first named series of rollers.

ETTORE LANCIANI. 

